Delhi police installs auditory devices at traffic signals for blind

New Delhi, Jun 4: The city police has informed the Delhi High Court that it has installed 57 auditory devices at traffic signals in the national capital for safety of visually impaired people.

Deputy Commissioner of Traffic Police in its reply filed before a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw also informed that 35 more locations have been identified for providing auditory signals. "... Delhi Traffic Police has provided 857 traffic signals and 401 traffic blinkers all over Delhi for ensuring smooth flow of traffic and safety of pedestrians and other road users.

A total of 57 traffic signals have been provided with auditory devices for the safety of visually handicapped persons. In addition, 35 locations have also been identified for providing auditory signals," the reply filed through Rupinder Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Traffic Police, said.

"Besides, at locations on roads where there is continuous flow of traffic, 22 pelican traffic signals and 36 pedestrian traffic signals are functional which have the facility to provided adequate time in the signal cycle to pedestrians in safely crossing the roads," it said.

"Additionally, 96 signals with pedestrian aspects have been installed and it is envisaged to provide pedestrian aspects on nearly all the signals," the official said. The police filed its reply after the court in March had issued notice to the city government and civic agencies on a plea seeking direction to provide parking space to the physically challenged near the entrances of public buildings in line with the Master Plan Delhi 2021.

The bench had also asked Delhi traffic police, police commissioner and DDA to file responses. A PIL filed by Vinod Kumar Bansal, a social worker through advocates Anupam Srivastava and Sitab Ali Chaudhary, had sought the court's direction to the Delhi government and civic agencies to install auditory signals at red lights on public roads for physically handicapped.